School Spirit is an Australian webcomic updated three times a week by writer and artist Daniel Vander Werff. Co-creator Daniel Quinney has retired from the regular production but was instrumental in it’s creation and so rightfully retains his credit. The strip has an unusual history, being born out the plan for a school musical and thankfully all the details are revealed among many supplementary pages which reveals a good deal of background. Most helpful of those pages perhaps is the glossary of ‘Strine’ or the unofficial Australian language of slang terms. There is the usual archive, a forum, a blog update and even some art submitted by the children – all charmingly uncomplicated.

The stories concern the day to day small time adventures of the lives of the young pupils of an Australian school. The strips are produced in a traditional ‘newspaper’ style format with colours as primary as the pupils. The whole thing is very child friendly by necessity since it would seem that more than a few of the ideas come from the real children who make up teacher Vander Werff’s class.

The art is functional and the stories simple. A odd note is struck by the fact the school is right next to a cemetery haunted by several ghosts though fortunately they are not of the very scary variety. No doubt an influence informed by the outrageous success of one Mr H. Potter. I have to say that there is not much here for the adult audience, but I’m guessing that it might be more than amusing for the young children who read it whether in Australia or abroad.

You’re be glad to learn that I was very nearly Australian myself and having more than a few relatives out there in sunny Oz I won’t be putting this comic under the microscope like I would any other. Taken as a hobby and with the inclusion of the efforts and readership of the children I’d have to have a heart of stone to criticise it. I know nothing about the interests of children having none of my own and having been born at the age of forty-five! However, it seems a rather noble and worthy venture that deserves only support and encouragement, so that’s all it will get from me.

If you’ve got young children I couldn’t imagine why this wouldn’t be a throughly engaging introduction to the webcomic experience. It might be brilliant for all I know, but you’ll have to ask the age-group it’s intended for to find out for sure. I wish it continued success.

Rating:

School Spirit
http://www.schoolspiritcomic.com/
by Daniel Vander Werff and Daniel Quinney
review by Mike Perridge
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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